Playlist: The Time of Our Time

A playlist of tunes I tend to dig up when I'm not quite sure of what my place is in the general scheme of things. As I start to dig into my seventh decade, these songs really speak to me. Bruce Springsteen: “Western Stars” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IXzAAKrsFE The Band: “It Makes No Difference” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfBqWNFOVo8 Steely Dan: “Midnite …

What Should Syracuse Dot Com Cover?

As a subscriber to the paper (the Sunday paper only) and a daily reader of the local online news at Syracuse.com, I recently received a February 7, 2020 "Letter From The Editor" written by Trish LaMonte--the Editor and VP for content of the paper. (excuse me for being so dead tree-centric but I generally refer …

Are You Kidding Me?

The latest tiff in the Democratic Presidential Primary, whether Bernie made a sexist comment and whether Liz lied about the thing is EXACTLY why I always hated to do political organizing. This kind of bullshit carping about made-up, stupid issues that have no effect on people's lives irritates me to no end. And then to …

Free Our People–The 20th Anniversary of the Olmstead Decision

Freedom isn't free. We hear this phrase a lot and it certainly rings true for people with disabilities, since our freedom has come quite recently—and is not quite complete. This week we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Olmstead v L.C., (527 U.S. 581), a U.S. Supreme Court decision written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. …

Let the guy with the calculator decide?

Syracuse Common Council meeting of the DPW committee 5-7-19 At the D.P.W. committee meeting at Common Council today, the discussion was on road paving (and thanks to our group--a bit on curbs/crosswalks.) There was a relatively short discussion on the need to ensure that there is sufficient public participation in the discussion before the Council …

Trump’s FY 2020 Budget: “Kill, torture and destroy–just keep my taxes low.”

Proposed Fiscal Year 2020 Budget of the U.S. Government In the beginning of March, President Trump submitted his proposal for a FY2020 Federal Budget. As has been the case with his prior two proposed budgets they: Call for massive cuts to all discretionary spending on social services ANDAre immediately declared irrelevant. Trump's budgets do not …

Hi, my name is Phil and I am a Christian.

Recently, someone IRL asked me if I was a Christian. I said I was and moved on quickly before they tried to either debate abortion or sell me something. It did get me to thinking,though. I am a Christian, but with no real need to proclaim this part of my life. I am nominally a …

25 years ago today . . .

I wrote a piece on this blog five years ago, describing my experiences in the first twenty years of my career as a community organizer. On February 5th, 1994 I walked into the offices of Syracuse United Neighbors, a community group working with residents of the south, southwest and near west sides of the city. …

For those wintry nights beside the fire . . .

I've started a winter reading list of actual books--paper sandwiched between covers, on a few I even sprung for the hardcover! I will keep you up to date on my progress and review the ones I've finished. Keep on Reading In The Street!

On cursing in public, an organizing perspective

At a celebration after being sworn into the House of Representatives for her first term of office, Rep. Rashida Tlaib made the following statement:  “When your son looks at you and says, ‘Momma, look you won, bullies don't win,' and I said, 'Baby, they don't,' because we’re gonna go in there and we're gonna impeach …